I have emailed HQ bird cages...

[CrystalinNC]

They claim that their cages have been tested for zinc at 80 ppm which is considered safe, right?
I asked them about the independent tests that had been run on them that showed higher levels, and do they test regularly, or just once in a blue moon.
I'm curious to see what their answer will be.
:confused:

[CrystalinNC]

Ok, they sent this:
http://hqbirdcages.com/cage_toxicology_report.html
but it said nothing about zinc...so I replied asking about zinc once more...
hmmmm

[Chrissy and Flock]

I know your not holding your breath right Crystal.....:smiles:

[too&me]

Waiting with you, it will be interesting to see their response.

[CrystalinNC]

I should hold my breath a different way! =)
Or, as my father would say...hold your mouth right! =)
when I would go fishing with him as a child, I remember holding my mouth in all kinds of ways, trying to make the fish bite, because he would always say, "you're not holding your mouth right Punkin."

[Chrissy and Flock]

:rofl: OMG been there done that Crystal ....

[Julie]

Punkin."

Thats my nick name too... Now its just Punk for short.... :haha:

[CrystalinNC]

Thats my nick name too... Now its just Punk for short.... :haha:
I call my daughter Punkin now...
she's in college,...Punk would fit better! =) She's a mess, with a very funny sense of humor...bet she'll appreciate the new nickname :D

[Larry, Baby and Me]

That is the same tox report that Steve Monroy emailed me on 10/01/2007. He owns All Bird Supply which is the east coast importer/distributor located in Miami Florida.

It looks like we are all sceptical about anything a retailer would tell us.

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Am I understanding that the black powder coating had less lead at .88 ppm and that the other colors had more?

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Patty,

There has only been one bird owner test for the HQ cages. It came back as Lead: 80 ppm and Zinc: 13,200 ppm. It was a white HQ dometop cage, 36"x28" with the open top.

Does that mean all HQ cages are Zinc toxic? My guess is most of them are.

[CrystalinNC]

OK, so I got a zinc report...
SIX YEARS OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!
and when I inquired about that...
I got this response:

The paint is the same.

Regards:
geomil

here's the report, if I can get it in here:
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg290/Cryren/UntitledMA20172335-0002.jpg



I don't know if this will show up or not...
I had to jump through hoops to get it in here! Might be a bit blurry




Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001).

[Birdlover]

Gee, how respectable :rolleyes: Guess they dont care much about the fact they have a problem...

[CrystalinNC]

I tell you what fires me up..
there is a website that sells these cages claiming that they are perfectly safe, and that the zinc levels are at 80 ppm...
they throw that number out there..
NOWHERE do I see that number.
Then to hear that someone on here has tested her cage to find crazy unsafe zinc levels, infuriates me!
I almost bought one of these!
Had I not looked into it here...i would have assumed that they wouldn't be saying that if it weren't true, and put MY NEW COCKATIEL BABIES in there!
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :mad::mad:

[Larry, Baby and Me]

If you enlarge the report you will see:

BLUE METAL PLATE FOR PET CASE
By Atomic absorption spectroscopy analysis

This test method is similar to the "ash" method.

There are two problems with this Atomic absorption spectroscopy analysis test...

1. A metal part was tested and not paint "scrapings".

2. The method was absorption and not "digestion".

For testing lead levels in items - the U.S. Federal requirements are...

1. Paint scrapings.

2. Digestion test method.

Therefore this test that they sent you is INVALID!

You can send this info to those folks if you like.

You can direct them to www.happybirdy.com (http://www.happybirdy.com) scroll down and you can read the details of "proper" testing for heavy metals in cage paint.

[CrystalinNC]

:mad:well...and the fact that it was 6 years old...
and I may just do that!
I also emailed a site that carried the cages claiming that they were absolutely safe...they responded right away asking who had given me a six year old report...
I sent it to her with the suggestion to test the cages herself if she was going to claim them totally safe on her site.

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Oh yeah... there's more....

Look carefully at who the lab is that did the testing.... "Hong Kong"

They are Intertek Testing Services

http://www.intertek.com/services/testing/?serviceID=TS&gclid=COGGgfXYl5ICFScEkgodkzaa7Q

My guess is --- and it is a very good guess - me knowing what these cage people do... HQ company here in the States relied on their China Mfr to do the test.

I have run into this bunch of hoooey before... nothing new to me.

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Also to add... the HQ people in the States as well as their mfr in China know full well the proper testing methods. What they have done is use an improper testing method to give FALSE test results. They did this on puropose.

If you want... they can call me on my cell to get any details they may want.

I will tell you this... they will lie and lie and lie.

Also... according to my class action attorneys -- EVERYONE in the supply chain is EQUALLY responsible. A retailer cannot claim ignorance and think they will be let off the hook. All are equally responsible --- including the on-line retailers that never handle the products but have them drop-shipped to the consumer from the importer/distributor.

There are scum-bags out there... a whole bunch of scum-bags.

[Wanda and Flock]

How about we all send separate emails demanding approved US tests and that we plan to spread the word about sending us 6 year old results! How many members do we have??? What if we each filed separate complaints or threatened to with the BBB and FTC as well as the state's attorney generals' office? That is ALOT of unwanted attention. I am sure they aren't in the mood to file 300 answers between 100 complaints to 3 agencies....and they have to answer and resolve the problems. I am sure we will get some dragged out response but if we don't let it die, it won't die. What if we got copies of the test results (independent-correct results) and really did something about it as a group? You know, strength in numbers.... Couldn't we hire an attorney?? Force them to do a recall on these cages? How does stuff like that happen?? If they knew we planned to email every single vendor we can find, file complaints etc.....the vendors would also have to respond....

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Wanda,

I sure like your enthusiasm.

I have to respond to Chrissy's post about George's Aloe Vera. So I will get back to this in a bit.

Reader's Digest version... I met again today with my class action attorneys. I will give you all the update in a bit.

[CrystalinNC]

I really do think something should be done..
if they are indeed selling a product that is dangerous to our pets, then they SHOULD pull them off the market.
Why hurt innocent animals?
I don't get it?
Why not be a legit company that sells a legit product? wouldn't that make you sleep better at night?

[Wanda and Flock]

Because it's the money that helps them sleep at night. Their pillows are stuffed with it and that's all they need for a good night's rest!..jerks. I say let's wake 'em up. Keep them from sleeping at night...with WORRY! Like I do when I think of the possibilities of lead poisoning with my babies. We have to hit them in the pocket or nothing will ever be resolved...ever. Funny how the dollar devalues the mind.

[too&me]

Does anyone know if Ferret caging has the same problems? That group of folks would be very active in combating any toxicity affecting their babies.

[CrystalinNC]

I got an email from one of the vendors today with her number, she asked me to call her and she would explain. She claims that it wasn't HQ that I talked to...but someone that had secured the HQbirdcages.com site...
I will call tomorrow.